On a tragic evening in Rex, Georgia, the life of 32-year-old Dominique Bibbins, an African American woman, was violently cut short. The events of November 30, 2021, unfolded from a domestic disturbance that escalated into a shooting, claiming the lives of two women and a police officer. Before law enforcement arrived at the scene on Jervis Court, Bibbins and 70-year-old Mary Gilliam were fatally shot by 35-year-old Arthur Allen Gilliam.
The violence did not end there. A 12-year-old boy was also shot in the face but managed to lead responding officers to the residence. Upon their arrival, Arthur Gilliam opened fire on the officers. In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, Clayton County Police Field Training Officer Henry Laxson was killed, and another officer, Alex Chandler, sustained a gunshot wound to the hand. The officers returned fire, killing the suspect, Arthur Allen Gilliam, at the scene.
Subsequent investigations into the deadly encounter were handled by both the Clayton County Police Department, which focused on the domestic violence aspect of the incident, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which took over the officer-involved shooting portion. Due to Arthur Allen Gilliam being killed at the scene, there were no arrests or subsequent trials in connection with the deaths of Dominique Bibbins, Mary Gilliam, and Officer Henry Laxson. The incident left the community in mourning and highlighted the devastating consequences of domestic violence.
